Our Fellowship programmes are guided by Working Groups of subject specialists. They are led by members of our Advisory Council and supported by Fellows, and partner organisations. The Advisory Council identifies a topical issue around which to focus a programme of Fellowships, and its delivery and promotion is supported by Fellows and partner organisations. Members are available to help Fellows in that programme with advice and networking.
Our Health and wellbeing Working Group supports our current programme focused on 'Promoting Lifelong Health: Addressing long-term health conditions from conception to end of life'.
Working group member
Ruth Balmer has over 30 years’ experience as a dietitian within a variety of health service and civil service settings. She was formerly a Nutritionist for the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland and worked as a Policy Officer with the British Dietetic Association, where she promoted the dietetic profession and the work of BDA members in NI.
Throughout her career she developed an interest in food issues relating to public health nutrition.
Working group member
Ceinwen Giles is Co-CEO of Shine Cancer Support, a patient-led UK charity that supports adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have experienced a cancer diagnosis and an Activate grant recipient. Ceinwen has extensive experience in the charity sector both in the UK and internationally. Prior to her work with Shine, she worked for an international development consultancy firm where her clients included the United Nations and the UK’s Department for International Development. Between 2019 and 2023 she was also Chair of the Patient and Public Voices Forum for the NHS England Cancer Programme. In addition to her Shine work, she is currently a Non-Executive Director at Bromley Healthcare, a social enterprise delivering NHS services in Southeast London.
Working group member
Lesley Holdsworth, an Allied Health Professional by training, is the Scottish Government’s Clinical Lead for Digital Health & Care. She has had a lifelong interest in informatics and particularly its criticality in driving improvement and is passionate about developing a digitally enabled workforce. An experienced National Clinical Lead, Director and Professor specialising in digital/informatics and its effective use in improving services and, across organisational boundaries. Her experience also includes: health services research, widening access to service and their redesign and development, technological innovation and large scale evaluation. Since her Fellowship, she has led a number of national, UK and global digital initiatives including establishing standards for digital practice, strategy and workforce development many of which have been published. She is a Fellow of both the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and also of the British Computer Society.
Working group member
Karen Leach is currently a Non-Executive Director for NHS Highland and a Strategy & Policy Advisor for the States of Guernsey Advisor working on the future model for long term care, care regulation and transforming community services. A nurse for over 30 years, she became a Queen's Nurse in 2015 and has varied leadership and management experience in community health and social care, cancer and palliative care services. Areas of special interest include new approaches in strategic leadership through collaboration and collective responsibility and coaching for change & wellbeing.
Working group member
A social entrepreneur with a devoted interest in how health inequality and social disparity can be tackled through accessible, community-based wellbeing services. Abi Nolan is the founder of Supply Yoga, a London-based social enterprise that works with third sector and grassroots community organisations to make mind-body practices and shared social experiences accessible to populations living at risk of poor health due to myriad social determinants. Supply Yoga's theory of change is underpinned by principles of community cohesion, inclusion and participation and lays the foundations for Abi's long-term goal to embed non-clinical health interventions within formal health care pathways for the most under-represented.
Working group member
Ebby Sigmund is a highly experienced occupational therapist working in both the NHS and the independent, or private, sector with over 30 years’ experience in South West Scotland. She offers a service to help adult clients and their families who may be experiencing difficulties arising from illness, accident or simply the challenges of growing older. She has worked across a wide range of settings and in a variety of clinical specialities.
Working group member
Recently named Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for Northern Ireland, previously a Deputy Director AHPs and Personal and Public Involvement - Responsible and accountable for AHP Leadership and professional inputs and Lead for the implementation of PPI policy across NI. Qualified podiatrist. She shared her lessons learnt from Covid-19 at the Royal College of Podiatry Conference.
Working group member
Ruth Balmer has over 30 years’ experience as a dietitian within a variety of health service and civil service settings. She was formerly a Nutritionist for the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland and worked as a Policy Officer with the British Dietetic Association, where she promoted the dietetic profession and the work of BDA members in NI.
Throughout her career she developed an interest in food issues relating to public health nutrition.
Working group member
Ceinwen Giles is Co-CEO of Shine Cancer Support, a patient-led UK charity that supports adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have experienced a cancer diagnosis and an Activate grant recipient. Ceinwen has extensive experience in the charity sector both in the UK and internationally. Prior to her work with Shine, she worked for an international development consultancy firm where her clients included the United Nations and the UK’s Department for International Development. Between 2019 and 2023 she was also Chair of the Patient and Public Voices Forum for the NHS England Cancer Programme. In addition to her Shine work, she is currently a Non-Executive Director at Bromley Healthcare, a social enterprise delivering NHS services in Southeast London.
Working group member
Lesley Holdsworth, an Allied Health Professional by training, is the Scottish Government’s Clinical Lead for Digital Health & Care. She has had a lifelong interest in informatics and particularly its criticality in driving improvement and is passionate about developing a digitally enabled workforce. An experienced National Clinical Lead, Director and Professor specialising in digital/informatics and its effective use in improving services and, across organisational boundaries. Her experience also includes: health services research, widening access to service and their redesign and development, technological innovation and large scale evaluation. Since her Fellowship, she has led a number of national, UK and global digital initiatives including establishing standards for digital practice, strategy and workforce development many of which have been published. She is a Fellow of both the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and also of the British Computer Society.
Working group member
Karen Leach is currently a Non-Executive Director for NHS Highland and a Strategy & Policy Advisor for the States of Guernsey Advisor working on the future model for long term care, care regulation and transforming community services. A nurse for over 30 years, she became a Queen's Nurse in 2015 and has varied leadership and management experience in community health and social care, cancer and palliative care services. Areas of special interest include new approaches in strategic leadership through collaboration and collective responsibility and coaching for change & wellbeing.
Working group member
A social entrepreneur with a devoted interest in how health inequality and social disparity can be tackled through accessible, community-based wellbeing services. Abi Nolan is the founder of Supply Yoga, a London-based social enterprise that works with third sector and grassroots community organisations to make mind-body practices and shared social experiences accessible to populations living at risk of poor health due to myriad social determinants. Supply Yoga's theory of change is underpinned by principles of community cohesion, inclusion and participation and lays the foundations for Abi's long-term goal to embed non-clinical health interventions within formal health care pathways for the most under-represented.
Working group member
Ebby Sigmund is a highly experienced occupational therapist working in both the NHS and the independent, or private, sector with over 30 years’ experience in South West Scotland. She offers a service to help adult clients and their families who may be experiencing difficulties arising from illness, accident or simply the challenges of growing older. She has worked across a wide range of settings and in a variety of clinical specialities.
Working group member
Recently named Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for Northern Ireland, previously a Deputy Director AHPs and Personal and Public Involvement - Responsible and accountable for AHP Leadership and professional inputs and Lead for the implementation of PPI policy across NI. Qualified podiatrist. She shared her lessons learnt from Covid-19 at the Royal College of Podiatry Conference.
